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Forum:Mirtul
Discovery of the Church: Mirtul 3rd-5th On the 3rd of Mirtul, 2113, the first of the Pathfinders arrived in Willowdale and found lodgings in the Boar & Thistle. Seeing as how they were all interested in exploring beyond the Great Wall, for various reasons, the inn proprietor Martha introduced them all to each other so that they might become travelling companions. The first to arrive were Rinzler, Jura, Kat, Ruthea and Sir Roswell. The five of them, while seeming a less-then-cohesive group, decided that they would set out the next morning to see what could be found beyond the wall. That night, they went to Valconey's Tower and met the resident wizard Valconey, after answering a riddle posed by his door-knocker regarding weights and scales. They also met Old Ned, owner of the local general store and fishing affectionado, and the Reverend Mother of the Temple of Yoma, who told them about an abandoned church that they might investigate. On the 4th of Mirtul, the five Pathfinders set out beyond the wall, after Sir Roswell paid the wall guards enough to cover every toll every Pathfinder would ever have to pay. They saw the Golden Fields and the farmland that hugged the shelter of the wall, as well as the Lonesome Road. Following the road west, they were assaulted by a small band of red and black kobolds, whom they easily dispatched. Continuing on their way, they eventually came upon a strange mound with what appeared to be an entrance sealed with a large boulder. Seeing as how night was upon them, they decided to camp by the hill and investigate the interior the next morning. On the 5th of Mirtul, the Pathfinders started their day by moving the large rock that sat at the base of the mound. They found the inside to be hollowed, and inhabited by a wight that they defended themselves from. After destroying the wight, they pressed further into the mound to discover that it was in fact a gravesite for a northern warrior: a barrow mound. There was a sarcophagus of sorts that contained the ancient remains of a man, unadorned besides a simple carving of a bird symbol under the lid. Around the grave were a few scattered effects of a simple life, such as pots and food so old it had dried to nothing. Runes carved inside were of a language reminicent of the Giant tongue, although the body interred there was human. After leaving the barrow mound, the Pathfinders continued down the Lonesome Road until they reached an abandoned church: the Church of St. Christopher. While surrounding buildings and structures such as the outer wall were burnt and ruined, the church building itself seemed intact, including its stained glass windows. Venturing inside, they explored the rooms to be found on the first floor: four on one side of the main room and three on the other. Most of the rooms had been ransacked, and the corpses of priests were strewn about. One room held nothing but a pool of black ichor in its center, which Rinzler later determined to be devil's blood. Another room had a single dead man within, but every surface in the room had been plastered with pages ripped from various scriptures, and over them was drawn a sort of summoning circle, although it was a fabrication and not truly arcane. A section of wall was investigated thuroughly from both inside and outside of the church, as it seemed that there that should have been an 8th room in that location; no entrance could be found. The final room in the far corner held stairs that led downward; when the Pathfinders attempted to venture underground, they were met by a mob of undead creatures. Obviously outmatched, the Pathfinders retreated from the church and were, luckily, not followed. After this experience, they decided to return to Willowdale, which they reached by evening. Exploring the Ruins: Mirtul ??-?? A group of Pathfinders including Dr. Haiduc and Noale set out into the Golden Fields to see what could be found. They discovered a ruined cellar populated by fire beetles, which they repelled but did not destroy, as Dr.Haiduc was interested in processing their bodies in some fashion to make useful extracts. They also recovered an ootyugh egg, which they gave to Valconey, and some elven healing wine, which Dr. Haiduc sold to a colleague of his in New Luxberg. Deeper in the Church: Mirtul ??-?? A group of Pathfinders decided to further investigate the Church of St. Christopher. They destroyed a large amount of undead that were rising from the graveyard in the back of the church, and attempted to enter the mysterious 8th room, both through magical and mundane methods. Holy water splashed on the wall revealed a sigil of St. Christopher, but no entrance. After smashing every pew in an unsuccessful attempt to bash an entrance into the sealed room, they descended into the basement, where they fought even more undead. The battle left them weary, so they returned to Willowdale. Wandering the Fields: Mirtul 12th-14th On the 12th of Mirtul, 2113, the same band of Pathfinders met in the Boar & Thistle as on the 3rd: Rinzler, Jura, Kat, Ruthea and Sir Roswell. After some decidedly awkward conversation wherein the term "hugging" was coined, the five decided to travel out into the Golden Fields the next morning to see what else they could find besides the church. They also all went to the house of Crazy Jeb to attempt a visit, but after standing outside his house for nearly 10 minutes, their calling and knocking unanswered, they decided to leave him alone. On the 13th, the five left town into the fields again. They were once again set upon by kobolds, although this time there was a blue, shamanistic individual accompanying the red and black foot soldiers. After thuroughly routing them, the Pathfinders decided to follow a survivor to see where the lizard-like creatures were coming from. They were lead to the kobold warrens, a series of huts built around a large, tunnel-ridden mound. After scouting the area, they decided not to attempt to enter the den at this time. From the warrens, the Pathfinders decided to turn south, reaching the edge of the Southern Badlands by nightfall. They set up camp near some large boulders in an attempt to stay sheltered, but the cover did not prevent a local ogre from discovering them in the night. After a heated battle, wherein Sir Roswell nearly perished, the ogre finally fell. Due to the severity of Sir Roswell's injuries, the five decided to return to Willowdale first thing on the morning of the 14th. Death of the Kobold King: Mirtul 14th On the 14th of Mirtul, 2113, some new Pathfinders arrived in Willowdale and were introduced to the group. These new adventurers, accompanied by Ruthea, decided to investigate the kobold warrens further. They pressed their way into the compound, and were eventually faced with the kobolds' leader, the Kobold King, who ordered them to be put to death. At the end of the battle, the Pathfinders were found victorious; Ruthea landed the final blow, earning her the title of Kingslayer. From the body of the fallen king, the Pathfinders claimed the powerful Cord of the Kobold King, as well as a makeshift crown which is now displayed in Ned's General Store. Enter the Great Cedar Forest: Mirtul 15th-19th On the 15th of Mirtul, 2113, a group of Pathfinders including Rinzler, Jura, Alyenna and Dr. Haiduc decided to travel further west then before, in an attempt to reach the Great Cedar Forest. On the 16th, the group departed, following the Lonesome Road, but only made it to the barrow mound before nightfall. They decided to spend the night inside the mound itself, and thus began the chain of discussion that would lead to the construction of the Barrow Motel. On the 17th, they pressed onwards, reaching the Great Cedar Forest with ease. Following the road into the expanse of trees, they soon crossed paths with two groups of goblins: the Skull-Takers and the Barking Wilders. The Pathfinders managed to hide themselves in time, and watched as the two groups intimidated each other, yelling, chanting and brandishing their weapons, using the road as a sort of boundary between the two of them. Eventually, the goblins moved on, and the Pathfinders continued. Shortly after, they heard something entirely different coming through the woods, and were unable to conceal themselves before a 16 ft. tall, pure black owlbear rampaged towards them: Chickcharney. Fighting tooth-and-nail, the Pathfinders just managed to repel the beast, who somehow teleported away after it sustained one too many blows. Attempting to find shelter from the impending night, the Pathfinders managed to find a series of elvish ruins: limestone statues, worn with age, which surrounded a series of small caves, which may have been basements at one point. The adventures rested here for the night. On the 18th, they continued following the road until it ended abruptly at the edge of a lake. At the lake's center stood a sunken fort, whose parapets were manned by lizardfolk. Deciding that they did not want to bother the lizardmen any, Alyenna climbed a tall tree in an attempt to locate other interesting areas that may be worth exploring. From her vantage, she managed to spy a tower to the south, swamps to the north-west, and a large patch of red trees to the north. Moving towards the red trees, the Pathfinders were ambushed by yet another goblin pack: the Crow Dogs. After fighting off the group of goblins, the adventurers decided that it might be time to head back to Willowdale before they were injured further. Travelling at a steady pace, they managed to return to the village by the 19th. Shrine of the Twin Gods: Mirtul 21st-26th On the 21st of Mirtul, 2113, a half-orc monk named Wutog came to the Boar & Thistle, looking for people to accompany him on his mission to discover a shrine to the Twin Gods of Destruction: The Axehand and The Arch-Psion; Rinzler, Jura and Sir Roswell opted to join him. The group set out on the morning of the 22nd. They passed by the now-empty ruins in the Golden Fields as they headed north, towards the barren land known as the Lichfields. The day passed uneventfully, and they made camp on the northern edge of the Golden Fields. Most of the 23rd was spent passing through the Northern Badlands. While they were stalked by gnolls for the majority of the day, the group managed to stay ahead of them, and the dog-men refused to follow them into the Lichfields. They camped in the open air on the bone-covered, grave-dotted ground. Everyone shared a strange dream that night involving an iron spiderweb and a cathedral, which the Pathfinders blamed on the numerous restless spirits in the area. By the 24th, the Pathfinders managed to find a ruined cathedral, which Wutog identified as the entrance to the shrine. Neither Jura's dinosaur Zuni nor Sir Roswell's horse D'Artangan would consent to enter the tainted shrine, so they waited outside. Following a cellar-like tunnel underground, the adventurers found themselves in a sort of anti-chamber dominated by two large statues: The Axehand, carved from black stone and adorned with rubies, and The Arch-Psion, carved from white marble and adorned with emeralds. As they entered the room, they were approached by a strange, ninja-like apparition, which welcomed them and informed them that the gods encouraged looting, but that it would not be made easy. Faced with two doors (one behind each statue), the group decided to take The Axehand's door. Behind it was a nearly empty room with a singular treasure chest, which was actually a mimic in disguise. Fighting it was a tricky task, as its sticky body managed to ensnare nearly every Pathfinder or their weapon at some point, although they were eventually victorious. There was only a single new door in that room, so they passed through it, whereupon they were met by an ancient warforged wielding a sword and shield. It seemed to be malfunctioning and knew of nothing but combat; it was dismantled and eventually brought back to be studied by Valconey. There were a variety of other small rooms, each bearing a trap of some type: a room covered in arrow-shooting devices, a room filled with sand that rushed out when the door was opened, and a room with a deep pit of bones that contained an illusion of treasure. All of these rooms were centered around a central altar room, containing two statues of the gods again, this time in more pensive positions. Wutog made an offering of pipe weed to the gods, and recieved a vision of them along with their dark blessing. The vision revealed a set of buttons on the base of The Axehand's statue: a city, a ziggurat, a foot and an island. When pressed, a drawer was revealed, containing a variety of valubles including the Boots of the Grand Entrance, a Baatorian Greensteel Dagger, a golem flask, and a scroll that Wutog identified as one of the scrolls of the Mad Prophet. As they were preparing to leave, they found something odd about a certain wall; destroying it revealed yet another room that housed a mummy, which attacked them as soon as its sarcophagus was opened. Its defeat led to the acquisition of a good many gemstones. As they left, they decided to attempt to remove the gemstones from the two central statues at the entrance, which quite expectedly triggered some potentially lethal traps. Successful at their mission to discover the shrine and content with the spoils that they had acquired, the Pathfinders set out for Willowdale, returning by the 26th.